All I Care About Is You
by Asherstonn
Summary: This was originally for a prompt, but I slightly altered it and decided to keep going with it. "Regina and Daniel's first time at Firefly Hill". I also took the actual dialogue from a scene from 'The Stable Boy' in the first chapter because it fit in really well. Stable Queen fluff.
1. Chapter 1

"Woooahh!" The stallion had quickly brought Daniel to his destination; Firefly Hill. As Daniel's steed came to a halt, he slid down quickly and slowly stroked her mane. Reaching into the nearest tree, he pulled an apple from the lowest branch and held t close to the horse's mouth, expressing his gratitude. Letting the horse roam free, Daniel slumped down against the strong trunk letting out an exasperated sigh. _"Maybe this just isn't meant to be..."_ He thought to himself, feeling defeated. He had just met with Regina with plans to spend the day together in this beautiful place; only to have them crushed, yet again, by Regina's mother. Although his love for Regina far surpassed anything he had felt for any other living creature, he was beginning to wonder if they were only fooling themselves thinking that they could one day be together. Tears began to fill his eyes at the mere thought of not having Regina's hand entwined with his own, not having her radiant smile gazing back at him, not having her soft lips pressed against his own... Consumed with his inner turmoil, Daniel was unaware of the galloping beast that was fast approaching him.

Daniel started as he realized he had company. He leapt to his feet, body prepared for a fight. Regina moved from the horse in one swift motion and was entangled in his arms before he had time to think. Caught together in a sweet embrace, all Daniel's thoughts and fears melted away; nothing mattered to him but Regina, his one true love. Reluctantly Regina pulled away from him, and he noticed a spark in her eye; fear.

"What is it?" Bringing his hand to her face, he moved the loose locks of hair that had fallen into her face.

"Marry me." she said with a determination that completely confused Daniel.

"Regina, what are you doing? What's happened? Did you tell your mother?"

Her eyes widened at the mention of her mother; she was the only one who could make Regina tremble in fear. "No!" she exclaimed, "And now I can never tell her! She won't understand!" Taking a deep breath, she began to explain, "That girl I saved... was the king's daughter. And now he's proposed to me!"

Unable to contain his shock, Daniel's mouth fell open, "What?"

Tears began to fill Regina's warm eyes," My mother accepted!" Turning from him, tears began to run down her face as a soft sob escaped her lips. "The only way out is to run," she spoke quietly as she turned back to her love, grasping his hands in her own, "For us to leave this place, for us to married, for us to never come back!"

Looking deeply into her eyes as he ran his hands through her thick, black hair, he asked, "Regina, do you understand what that would mean? Life with a stable boy is a far cry from a life as queen."

Her eyes became glossy with tears once again. "Being queen means nothing. Daniel," bringing her hands to frame his face, she stroked his jaw line gently with one finger as she gazed into his eyes, "...all I care about is you."

Pulling her in, he planted a tender kiss on her lips. "Then if I am to marry you, we must do this properly," he said as he reached into the satchel hook to his belt, "Here." He had pulled out a ring; not anything extravagant, just a simple band, with thin gold strands intertwined with one another. Regina gasped and brought her hand to her mouth in surprise. Although just a few short hours ago she had been offered the most extravagant ring she had ever seen, that any girl would practically die to have, Regina was taken by the simplicity of Daniel's ring. She had never seen anything more beautiful. Becoming so overtaken by joy, she let out a soft chuckle as Daniel slid the ring onto her finger, forgetting temporarily about everything around them keeping them apart. She threw her arms around his neck kissing him passionately, unable to control her feelings for him. She had never felt this way before; not with any other boy who had attempted to court her, any man her mother had tried to send her off with, and not even when the king stood before her on bended knee asking for her hand in marriage. Never had she felt such happiness. But suddenly, the realization hit her; they had to run... now!

She pulled away quickly, breaking their embrace, as she ran back to her horse grasping at the large satchel that hung from the saddle.

"Regina," Daniel said somewhat quizzically, startled by her sudden rushing, "What is going on? What are you doing?"

"Here," she said as she tossed a thick cloak his way, " You'll need this for the ride." Continuing to rifle through the bag with a fervor that was almost frightening, Daniel came beside her.

"What do you mean? It is only a short ride back to your estate. I won't be needing a cloak," he stated, still in a slight state of confusion.

Tearing her eyes from the bag she looked into his eyes, and he saw the frightened little girl that was deep inside the woman he loved. "We have to run, Daniel..." Her gaze momentarily trailed to the ground before she took a deep breath, looking back up at him. "We have to run _now_.


	2. Chapter 2

Regina began to breathe heavily. She felt like her heart was going to pound straight out of her chest as her knees gave out and she slumped to the ground. Daniel quickly scooped her up and lifted her onto her horse, gently climbing onto the beast in front of her.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked tenderly, "To leave everyone and everything?"

Regina was choking back tears; they were not tears of sadness, but of true happiness at the thought of running away from this life to have a new one with Daniel. As she leaned into him, her chin resting on his shoulder, she spoke softly, "With all my heart." A smile crept across Daniel's face as she spoke the words. With that he kicked the horse straight into a gallop, determined to put as much distance between them and Cora before she realized what had happened. Regina wrapped her arms tightly around his waist as the horse began to gain speed, resting her head in the crook of his neck.

"I've just got to grab some things from the stable before we leave," he said to her as he turned his head to her.

Regina immediately sat straight up and tightened her grip around his waist, "No!" she shouted, "We can't go back, Daniel! We have to go now! I've packed a few necessities, but that is all we can take! We can't risk going back! It's too dangerous!" Daniel could hear the pure terror in her shaking voice. He course corrected, directing his horse away from the castle. Feeling her grip on him loosen, he turned his head to look back at her - his heart sinking as he saw her face stained with tears. He wanted so badly to stop the horse and comfort her in his arms, but he knew that was not an option - their only option was to put as much distance between themselves and Cora as possible.

As the sky turned a stony shade of gray, a light mist of rain began to fall as they blitzed through the open fields. Regina tucked her head against Daniel's back as the rain began to thicken, drops of rain stinging their exposed skin. Her grip tightened on him as Daniel kicked the steed, wanted to find some shelter from the rain quickly. As the horse sprinted forward, Daniel spotted a thick forest becoming ever closer and guided the horse in it's direction. As the horse slowed and the rain seemed to cease, Regina lifted her head to see that they had found... "shelter", and slid off the horse once it had come to a stop. Looking out into the storm, she realized that this would most likely be where they would be staying for the night. The rain began to pound down harder, making it practically impossible for one to attempt to see, let alone ride. Daniel slid down after her and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, hugging her tightly. Once he released her, Regina's hands found their way to his neck as she gazed deeply into his eyes.

Daniel noticed a spark of worry in her eyes. "No matter how terrifying your mother is or what she may do to me," he said quietly, then leaned in, whispering in her ear, "There is no place I would rather be than to be with you." With that, he placed a soft, slow kiss on her neck, lingering there for a moment.

Regina's eyes filled with tears as the words escaped from his lips. "I love you." she whispered in reply. Although she was soaked to the bone and shivering from the rain, she felt as though she was going to melt as she felt his breath across the nape of her neck. He pulled away from her, gently smoothing her rain-soaked hair away from her face. He couldn't help but smile when he looked at her, feeling so much happiness that they could finally be together. Cupping her face in his hands, he pulled her closer to him as he softly placed his lips upon hers. What began as a sweet symbol of his affection quickly erupted with passion as she wrapped her arms around his neck and he hoisted her into his arms. Their lips moved together, unable to part from one another. After a few moments, Daniel reluctantly ended their embrace.

"Hold on," he stated quietly as he searched for a place to lay their heads for the night. Regina let herself out of his arms as he searched, returning to the horse to retrieve supplies from the saddlebags. She tied the horse's reign to a low branch and hoisted the bag over her shoulder, then returned to Daniel.

"I have a few blankets," she informed him, "Hopefully they stayed somewhat dry." She had taken the best saddlebags, made out of the finest leather, so the blankets were practically untouched by the storm that had raged upon them. Daniel had found a small cave-type dwelling that had just enough space for the two of them. He spread one of the blankets out on the rocky ground and tossed the other on top.

"It probably won't be very comfortable, but it will have to do," he said nonchalantly, caring nothing of sleeping on rocky ground only because he would be with the woman he loved. He shrugged the soaking cloak off of his shoulders, laying it out over a rock in hopes that the morning would bring sunlight to dry it. Regina followed suit, spreading her cloak out next to his. After laying her cloak down, she looked down to her left hand, feeling unspeakable joy as she looked upon the ring Daniel had given her. She spun it slowly around her finger, feeling as though it had been something missing from her hand her entire life. Regina had always been independent; always self-sufficient, never depending on anyone else. Sure, her father loved her and she loved him, but there was always a distance between them because he would never stand up to her mother; even when she had done unspeakable things. It was difficult for Regina to comprehend that one person could fill the hole that she had always felt; that someone else could make her feel whole. Not only was that baffling, but for it to be the man who had tended to her stables for years was another enigma within itself. As she continued to fondle the piece of jewelry, she felt Daniel's hand snake their way slowly around her waist.

"You know what that means, don't you?" he asked as he nuzzled her neck.

Regina chuckled softly, "What do you mean?" she asked, turning around to meet his gaze.

Daniel reached down and cradled her hand in his bringing his lips to lightly touch the gold band on her finger. "This means that you are my _wife_." Her eyes lit up as he said the word; she hadn't even realized what the ring truly meant due to being so worried about running away. Her eyes filled with joyous tears as she grasped his hands in her own, feeling the rough callouses against her soft skin. Taking a deep breath in an attempt to clam her nerves, she looked up into his eyes; feeling a sudden uncontrollable desire to be near him. Regina had never had any interest in another man in her entire life, let alone had she been with another man. Although she loved him more than she could have ever imagined, Daniel was such a strange creature to her. He made her feel things she never fathomed she could. Like now; never before had the desire to be with a man ever crossed her mind. But as she bore into his eyes, that was all she could think of; never had she wanted something so badly.

She loosed her hands from his and slowly pulled the bottom of his shirt from his thick riding slacks. Hands shaking, she thumbed around nervously as she began to undo the buttons. Her breath caught in her throat as the shirt fell open, revealing his muscular body. She bit her lip as she gently ran her hands down the length of his abdomen, then glanced up at him. Daniel could barely breathe as he looked at his wife -_ he still couldn't get over calling her that_ - but he followed suit. Regina had forgotten about wearing the dress that her mother had forced her into upon meeting the king, not having had time to change before she fled with Daniel.

Daniel had gone behind her to untie the lacings holding the dress to her when she laughed, causing him to stop. "Is something wrong?" he asked, wondering if he had done something wrong.

"Nothing," she said, chuckling again, "I just realized how silly I look, going on a journey of who knows how long in some extravagant gown." She glanced over her shoulder, meeting his eyes, "Nothing is wrong. This is perfect." With that, Daniel continued, untying the knots holding the dress together. As he pulled out the string, the dress slumped to the ground leaving her wearing nothing but her undergarments. Daniel scooped her up in his arms and carried her to their "bed", setting her down gently before laying down next to her. He propped up his elbow and rested his head on his hand, staring longingly into her eyes.

"I love you." he said with complete seriousness, unable to find any other words to say to her.

"I love you too." she replied as his strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her against his warm body, caught up in a tender embrace.


	3. Chapter 3

As Regina woke the next morning, an enormous smile crept across her face as she ran her hand up and down Daniel's bare chest. She never dreamed that she could be so happy because of one single person, one single moment. Being close to Daniel, hearing his heart beating made her own heart swell with joy. Suddenly, she heard a rustling noise nearby. Regina quickly and carefully (and perhaps a bit reluctantly) slipped out of Daniel's arms and shrugged his shirt over her shoulders, fastening the buttons quickly as she stepped out of the small cave. She looked around squinting her eyes in an attempt to see deeper into the darkness that had overtaken the forest. Again. There it was. The same noise, but now it was closer. She quickly stepped into her riding boots and set foot outside of the cave, determined to find the source of these sounds.

As she slowly crept through the woods, the only sound she could hear was the sound of her own boots and the chirping of the crickets, which was somehow very calming to her. After her investigation of the surrounding woods, Regina felt assured that all was well and it must have just been an animal. She began to walk less cautiously back toward Daniel, when all of a sudden she felt her body being lifted from the ground, feelings of pure terror filling her entire being. Cora stepped into Regina's view, her hand held in that gnarled grasp that had held Regina captive on more than one occasion. In this moment, she was unable to speak. She could barely breathe at the thought of her mother finding Daniel and taking him from her; she would surely have no mercy on him now since they had run away together. At long last, Regina was finally able to choke out a few words, "Mother... please..."

"Don't." Cora stated matter-of-factly, causing tears to begin to come to Regina uncontrollably. "You sneak out of my house in the dead of night and think I won't notice? How dare you!" Cora grasped her hand tighter, causing Regina to cry out in pain, her body heaving with sobs as she dangled in midair. "Mother, I'm sorry," she said through clenched teeth, "I just didn't think you would understand."

Cora scoffed loudly, "Understand what? That you want to come out into the woods like some little harlot with a stable boy instead of fulfilling everything I have set in place for your life? For your future? Look at you," she said in disapproval, "He has obviously had his way with you already. That will make you much less appealing to the King if he were to find out."

"Mother, I am not marrying the King! I love Da-" She stopped as her mother's hand clenched into a fist, making her feel as though her lungs were being crushed.

Cora's face contorted into a grotesque smile as she heard Daniel's voice calling out to Regina, his hurried footsteps quickly approaching them. "Regina! Regina! Are you alright? Where are you?!" he shouted looking around frantically for her.

"Run Daniel! Run! She's here!" Regina screamed in agony as her mother's grip tightened on her. As Daniel came into view, Cora dropped Regina to the ground, changing her focus to the stable boy, a look of evil flaming in her eyes.

"Mother, no!" Regina screamed as she scrambled to her feet, trying to get to them as soon as she could. But just as she reached her mother, she realized she was too late; Daniel's heart glowed brightly in her gloved hand as his body slumped to the ground.

* * *

Regina awoke with a start, a layer of cold sweat covering her body. Daniel sat himself up, wrapping his arm around her bare shoulders, gently running his fingers up and down her arm. "What's the matter Regina? Are you alright?" he asked softly.

"It's nothing," she said calmly, clearing her throat, "Just a bad dream is all." At that moment she heard a rustling sound, bringing the nightmare back to her memory in full force. Jumping quickly to her feet, she swiped Daniel's shirt from the ground and threw it on quickly as she began collecting their things. Luckily it was almost dawn, the sunlight slowly peeking through the horizon, making her feel a little more secure. Daniel watched her bustle around, frantically grabbing everything around them - one item being a stick that had been laying on top of his jacket - and stuffing them into the saddlebag, leaving out the rest of Daniel's clothes that he had worn the night before. The last thing she had packed in the saddle bag was an outfit for herself; which was relieving because she was not planning on wearing some extravagant evening gown for the rest of their journey.

Daniel watched as Regina bustled around frantically, grabbing everything in sight. Daniel calmly slipped into his clothing as Regina practically jumped into her own, in turn tossing Daniel's shirt onto his head. She had a somewhat crazed look in her eyes, so he felt that she might need calmed down. Walking up behind her as she crammed the items into the saddlebag, he snaked his arms around her waist, causing her to jump before she realized it was him. Feeling safe in his arms, she relaxed, laying her hands over his. Kissing her neck tenderly, he whispered, "There is no need to fear; I will protect you."

Taking a deep breath, Regina turned to face him; all her fears melting away as she looked into his eyes. He pulled her close and pressed his forehead against hers, "Daniel," she whispered, "I love you so much."

Daniel cupped her face in his hands and smiled, "I love you too, Regina. Forever." He pressed his lips passionately against hers as the saddlebag fell to the ground. Her head was spinning; how could this even be real? She gasped a little as Daniel lifted her off the ground, then wrapped her legs around his waist as she pulled his face closer to her own. "Is this real, Daniel? Did we really get away?" she chuckled softly, "I feel like I'm dreaming."

Daniel pressed his lips softly on her chest before answering her, "You are most certainly not dreaming, my love. This is real." With that, he kissed her more passionately than he ever had before as he pulled her as close to his own body as humanly possible. Regina couldn't keep the smile off her face as they kissed, but she opened her eyes for a moment and saw something peculiar in the distance. Planting one last kiss on his lips she set her feet on the ground, walking briskly toward the edge of the forest. In the distance, back toward the manor she used to call home, she saw a purple cloud hovering in the sky; her mother must have realized what had happened, and she would stop at nothing in order to have her way.

Daniel stood behind Regina as she looked out, his hands protectively grasping her shoulders. "We need to go, Regina. We need to put as much distance between us and your mother as possible." He walked around to face her and gently wiped away the tear that had fallen onto her cheek. "I know this must be so difficult for you, leaving your family." Grasping her hands in his own he looked down to the ground, feeling guilty as he wondered if he had pressured her into leaving.

Regina took a deep breath. "Daniel," she said as she leaned down to him, "There is no place I would rather be than right here, in this moment," She caressed the side of his face with her palm as another tear fell from her eye, "With you."


	4. Chapter 4

Regina was completely relieved when she felt Daniel pull back on the reins of the horse. "Woooah," he called out, bringing the beast to a stop. She felt completely drained, having gotten almost no sleep because of the nightmares of her mother that had tormented her the night before. A yawn escaped her lips as Daniel slid off the horse before her then swept her down immediately after, cradling her in his arms for a moment before planting a tender peck on her forehead.

"What's the occasion?" she asked, a hint of sarcasm hidden behind her sweet smile.

He tilted his head and looked at her quizzically, "What do you mean?"

She tangled her fingers in his and swung their hands playfully back and forth. "We're actually stopping!" she said with a hint of exasperation, "I feel like we have ridden for days!" she said, letting out a heavy sigh as she let her body collapse to the ground, finding comfort in the soft, lush grass. Tucking one hand behind her head and laying the other across her stomach, she took a deep breath in, enjoying the sweet fragrances of nature; and of freedom. The peace she felt in this moment was something she didn't think she had ever felt. Living under the constant scrutiny of her mother had worn on her more than she realized.

As she gazed into the pale blue sky, Daniel planted himself next to her propped up on his side and scooped her hand into his own, lacing their fingers together. Regina readjusted herself to rest her head in the crook of his arm that was holding his head, nestling herself comfortably against him. Her smile grew as she thought about what the future could hold for them; they had eternity in front of them, without anyone to stop them. They could go anywhere, do anything - and they would do it together. She held their hands up in the air above them, twiddling her fingers. She loved the way Daniel's ring looked on her hand, especially when it glistened in the sunlight.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, "I know it feels like forever, but we are almost there. I promise."

"Almost where?" she asked curiously as she looked into his eyes, unaware of the fact that he actually had a destination in mind.

Pulling her hand to his mouth, he gently kissed the palm of her hand, "We're almost to the town I grew up in," his eyes lit up at when he mentioned it, "The safest place I know."

Regina rolled to her side to bring herself eye level with him as a smile crossed her face, "Does this mean I get to meet your family?"

Daniel laughed, "Well, there's not much to my family, but you'll get to meet them, I suppose!" Regina felt so much happiness welling up inside her that she thought she might burst. She tackled him playfully which started a wrestling match between the two of them. Rolling over, tossed her leg over his waist and straddled him victoriously. She leaned down to him, slowly stroking his face with her smooth hands. Their lips met, and Daniel clasped her waist with his strong hands as the heat between them began to grow. Regina pulled away from him for a moment and shrugged her coat from her shoulders, tossing it aside. Reaching behind her head, she slowly untangled the piece of twine she had used to pull back her long, dark hair letting it fall down over her shoulders. Their lips met again, more amorous than before. Keeping one hand under his chin, she ran the other one down to unclasp the top button on his shirt.

* * *

Regina sat up, quickly weaving her hair into its usual braid as she readied herself for the rest of their journey. She was tying the twine tightly around the bottom of her braid when Daniel quickly swooped in and kissed her neck, and a girlish smile crept across her face. She looked up at him coyly as she twirled the end of her braid between her fingers.

"What?" he asked, returning her smile over his shoulder as he tossed the woven blanket across the horse's back.

"Nothing," she said quietly, then looked up to him again, "I'm just really lucky to have you."

"No," he extended his hand to help her stand, "I am lucky to have you." he stated matter-of-factly before he wrapped his hands around the back of her neck. He pulled in close to her, and tenderly kissed the tip of her nose; he seemed fond of small, loving gestures like this one. Lifting her chin with his index finger, he looked into her eyes, "I mean it," he said in a stern tone. "I know your mother has made you feel like you aren't worthy of anything but being a pawn in her games, but I am telling you," he purposefully took her face in his hands to keep her from avoiding his gaze, "You are worth more than the life I call my own. Do you think I didn't consider what may have happened to me if your mother were to find out about us? What she would do to me?" He gently stroked her cheek as a modest smile crossed his face, "I would gladly give my life if it meant that I could be with you for just a moment."

Tears had began to stream down her cheeks, but they weren't tears of sadness; they were tears of pure joy, something she had never felt in her life. She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist again, clinging to him. "I love you so much, Daniel." loosening her grip, she looked at him again. "I don't know what I would do without you."

"Well, my dear," he said, sweeping a loose hair from blocking her face, "You will never have to know what that feels like."


End file.
